⬅️宋词 Ci Poems
Xin Qiji (1140-1207 AD) was a military general and a poet of Southern Song dynasty. In 1127 AD, the capital city of Kaifeng (开封) fell to Jurchens during Jin-Song wars. The Emperor Huizong (宋徽宗) and Emperor Qinzong (宋钦宗) of Song, along with many members of imperial family and high level officials were captured. The remnants of the imperial court fled to the southern China and finally settled in Linan (临安), modern-day Hangzhou (杭州) as the new capital. The event was called Jingkang Incident, or Humiliation of Jingkang (靖康之耻) in history. It divided the dynasty into Northern Song and Southern Song. The northern China was occupied by Jurchens. Thereafter, to recover the lost land and avenge Northern Song's defeat by Jin had become the major content of politics and a frequent subject of literatures in Southern Song dynasty.
Xin Qiji was born in Jinan, Shandong Province, then occupied by Jurchens. He was named after the legendary general Huo Qubing (霍去病，140-117 BC) of Han Dynasty. General Huo led a campaign into the desert and defeated Xiongnu nomadic people, winning a major victory for Han Dynasty in 119 BC. Qiji and Qubing, the given names of Xin and Huo, shared the same meaning of eradication of disease. The choice of his name was a pretty good indication of Xin family's patriotism towards Song dynasty. Since his father's early death, Xin Qiji was raised by his grandfather. Followed this grandfather's instruction, young Xin Qijing traveled to the north twice and inspected military and geographic situation of Jurchens. In 1161 AD, Wanyang Liang (完颜亮，1122-1161 AD) the fourth emperor of Jurchen-led Jin dynasty invaded Southern Song. Insurrections were everywhere in Jin controlled territories. Xin Qiji also led a small group of men to fight against Jurchens along with Geng Liang, who commanded tens of thousands men. Xin Qiji convinced Geng Liang to form alliance with Southern Song dynasty. Geng Liang accepted Xin Qiji's advice and sent Xin as an envoy to Southern Song. The meeting between Xin Qiji and Southern Song dynasty went well. Xin Qiji had the endorsement from the emperor. But after he returned to the north, he learned that Geng Jing was assassinated by a traitor named Zhang Anguo (张安国). With only fifty men, Xin Qiji fought his way into the camp of Jurchens and captured Zhang Angu. Before Jurchen soldiers reacted, Xin Qiji led his men out safely. He then took Zhang Anguo to Southern Song dynasty and had him executed by the emperor.
After Xin Qiji returned to Southern Song dynasty, he was given several minor positions, but he was never taken seriously, partly because that the imperial court of Southern Song dynasty was dominated by the literati officials who favored an appeasement policy towards Jin, and partly because of Xin Qiji's status as a returnee from the Jin occupied territory. But the patriotic passions inside him was never extinguished. Sometimes even on a minor post, Xin Qiji took things on his own hand. He once trained a military troops of thousands men in Hunan Province which soon became a dominant force. He was quickly discharged from the position. Over forty years after Xin Qiji returned to Southern Song dynasty, he was accused by censors seven times. He spent more time in seclusion than in politics and tried to console himself by composing Ci poems. More than 600 hundreds of his Ci poems survived today. His literature talent put him in the same league as Su Dongpo, the greatest Ci poet in Chinese history. People call them Su-Xin (苏辛).
